Why is the NIV Catholic?

Dear Jeff,

On page 6 of April 2004, you made the following statement in reply to a reader: “I recommend the King James Version. The New International Version is one of many Catholic Bibles that deny the truth of God’s word in a variety of ways.” What is the supporting evidence that the New International Version is Catholic? KF.

Response

Dear Brother KF,

I have a friend that has spent many hours researching this subject and he has agreed to give a brief answer to your question. Jeff.

Brother KF,

Thousands of pages have been written giving a clear picture that Satan has through his agents systematically, and with design, corrupted God’s word. My first suggestion would be a book written by Benjamin Wilkenson in 1930 entitled, Our Authorized Version Vindicated (I purchased mine from Orion Publishing in Ukiah, CA).

Wilkenson was the dean of theology at Washington Missionary College at the time and although his book preceded the new versions he does give an excellent history of both the climate and people who produced the Revised Standard Version. During the latter end of the time of the Oxford Movement (which essentially changed the church of England from Protestant to Catholic) two Anglican ministers produced a new Greek New Testament that was based primarily on the Sinaiticus and Vaticanus manuscripts. Gnostics produced these manuscripts in Alexandria, Egypt. Because of the quality of the workmanship and dating many believe that they were two of the 50 Bibles Constantine commissioned Eusebius to produce for his Christian-pagan empire.

Wilkenson’s book contains numerous texts showing how the Jesuit bible reappears in the American Revised Version.

Gail Riplinger’s book, entitled New Age Bible Versions is much broader in scope. This is an excellent book in which she not only demonstrates that the new versions accommodate Catholicism but that it is Satan’s design that they can be used as a one world religion bible. In Luke eleven, the Lord’s prayer is so generic that it can be prayed by Luciferians. The Lord’s prayer in Matthew six is somewhat better. In many versions it begins with God however ends with Satan when you look at the marginal references. Cardinal Mario Martini is on the UBS Greek New Testament committee. The underlying text used by both the UBS and Nestles/Aland is the Vaticanus, which was mysteriously found in a vault in the Vatican, rejected by the reformers, but somehow accepted by our Laodicean church.

Riplingers book can be purchased by phone (800–435–4535), or online at www.AVPUBLICATIONS.com or at A.V. Publications, PO Box 280 Ararat, VA 24053 USA.

Both of the books previously mentioned are a must for reference material.

Jack Moorman’s, Early Manuscripts And The Authorized Version can also be purchased through A.V. Publishing. This book not only documents 356 changes of doctrinal passages it denotes an intentional removal of either Lord, Jesus or Christ from the new versions. The NASB has 156 of these omissions, whereas the New International Version omits 115. He points out that this is due to the Gnostic idea that Jesus did not become the Christ until after His baptism.

This is known as “adoptionism” or “spirit Christology” and was the basis of the Alexandrian manuscripts. These are the texts underlying all of the new versions. Here I would like to refer to 1 John 2:22 that states, “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist.”

Samuel Gipp’s An Understandable History of the Bible was a very easy and enjoyable read giving even a fuller understanding of the change from the received text to that of the new versions.

For a more scholarly approach, I would suggest Herman Hoskiers Codex B and its Allies. He proves the corruption in these Alexandrian manuscripts. He and Dean John Burgeon have done more collations (comparisons with all the ancient manuscripts) than any person I know. Even though there are other sources, these should be sufficient.

Basically these authors support the fact that a couple spiritualists, Wescott and Hort, hating the majority text which Christianity had used since the time of the apostles, produced an entirely new Greek New Testament.

This manuscript, based primarily on the Vaticanus combined with other Alexandrian manuscripts, is the basis for not only the Revised Standard Version but also all of the new versions. As Gnosticism and Catholicism are both a combination of paganism and Christianity you can readily see why these new versions have been accepted by both the New Agers and Catholics. The question is, why has Protestantism, and more specifically Adventism, come to accept them so readily? The answer is twofold. First we are Laodiceans, asleep, not comparing scripture with scripture. And we are too tied in with the world’s way of thinking. The second reason is that although some of the changes are obvious, many are very subtle and the overall content appears very religious. Let me refer to a number of passages.

• Luke 2:33 where King James Version reads, Joseph and His mother, new versions read, his father and mother, thus denying His virgin birth.
• Luke 11 omits any reference to heaven or evil.
• Luke 4:8 Get thee behind me Satan is missing where Jesus is speaking to Peter. (It would be hard to accept that Satan could use the first pope).
• Acts 13:42 states that the gentiles wanted Paul and Barnabus to preach these same words the next Sabbath. This is lost in the new versions, thus weakening the Sabbath.
• Acts 16:7 pantheism can be seen in the words “The Spirit of Jesus suffered them not” rather than “The Spirit suffered them not.”
• The gospel is lost in 1 Corinthians 5:7 where Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us, in the new versions He is just sacrificed. Jesus is no longer the Creator in Ephesians 3:9.
• Colossians 1:14 we no longer have redemption through His blood.
• John 2:11 miracles become signs.
• Conversion (a work of God) becomes change (a work of man) in Matthew 18:2,3 (New International Version).
• The confessional is supported in James 5:16 where confess your faults becomes sins. We’ve been told to confess our sins only to God.
• Purgatory is seen in 2Peter 2:9 where the Lord will keep the unrighteous under punishment unto the day of judgment.
• Hebrews 1:3 now opens the door for a mediatrix, (i.e. Mary) where by Himself is missing from purging our sins.
• Both Mark 9:42 and John 6:47 believe on Jesus becomes just believe. (We can believe on anything).
• Mark 10:24 For those who trust in riches is missing, thus insinuating that it is hard to enter the kingdom.
• Believe becomes obey in John 3:36, which suggests works.
• Unbelief becomes disobedience in Hebrews 4:6.
• Mark 7:19 we read that all meats are clean in the new versions.
• If you refer to the marginal reference the ascension is missing in Mark 16:9–20.
• Revelation 1:7 opens the way for what the revisers refer to as the larger hope or universal salvation, where the nations will not wail for their lost condition but instead mourn suggesting true repentance.
• Acts 3:19 the latter rain is lost and works is substituted, whereas we are told to repent and turn to God so that times of refreshing will come.
• Psalms 8:5 man was created a little lower than God, whereas Jesus in Hebrews 2:9 was created a little lower than the angels.
• The person of Christ is the catholic doctrine of transubstantiation. This can be clearly seen in 1 Corinthians 11:29 (New International Version).
• 1 John 5:7 is missing from new versions. This is our strongest support for the doctrine of the Trinity.
• 1 John 4:3 we’re told in the King James Version that every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is antichrist. New versions eliminate not only Christ but also in the flesh in that very same verse.
• Revelation 22:14 states “Blessed are they that do His commandments that they may have right.” New versions replace do His commandments with wash their robes.
• Amos 3:3 deals with the spiritual concept that “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” In new versions it requires an appointment.
• Lucifer is missing from Isaiah 14:12 and in some cases a marginal reference sends you to Revelation 22:16 where Jesus is the bright and morning star.
• There are thousands of changes in the new versions. However space, and my ability to present the complete list, will not permit.

I would like to close with three passages of Scripture. Deuteronomy 19:15 states “at the mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses shall the matter be established.” Note that we have presented many more than two or three witnesses. Next I would present Revelation 22:18,19 “If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book”. Have we not seen this very thing being done in the new versions? Do we not believe this statement from Revelation?

Gail Riplinger points out an alarming fact. Five people involved in translating the new versions lost their ability to speak; man should not have altered God’s word!

Finally I would suggest that we look for the spiritual application of Malachi 1:6,7 “O priests that despise my name. And ye say, wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer polluted bread upon my altar.” Jesus is the Bread of Life. He is also The Word. In many pulpits today we are offering polluted bread on God’s altar. This is a very solemn thought. Bud Alavezos.

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. Revelation 22:18, 19.